OTTAWA, Mar 9 (LSN.ca) - On February 23, Hedy Fry, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women), launched a “national anti-hate activity strategy.” Fry held a Roundtable discussion in Ottawa with representatives from Canadian business, law enforcement and civil society groups who met with the Department of Canadian Heritage, Justice Canada, and the Solicitor General in a joint effort to develop a National Anti-Hate Strategy. The release from the government department indicates that the measures come in response to “recent reports of increased hate activity in Canada.”“We must move forward quickly to put in place a national strategy for hate and bias activity,” said Fry. In a background paper detailing the “hate” and “intolerance”, the department includes “homophobia” among the list of areas to address. The paper says the government must deal more comprehensively with “the problems of racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry of which hate groups are but one, albeit extreme, manifestation.” Last weekend, Fry officially opened the International Youth Forum on Racism, the culmination of the Government of Canada’s “Racism. Stop it! Action 2000” initiative. The Forum served as a youth preparatory meeting leading to the United Nations World Conference on Racism to be held in 2001. The UN definition of racism, like that of Canada, would include “homophobia”. There is little indication that anti-hate advocates are concerned about the increasing hate and physical attacks against institutions and individuals who hold traditional moral and family beliefs. See the government reports at http://www.pch.gc.ca/bin/News.dll/View?Lang=E&Code=9NR165E http://www.pch.gc.ca/bin/News.dll/View?Lang=E&Code=9NR172E http://www.pch.gc.ca/multi/Responding/review.htm